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People on Manus Island are becoming more concerned about the impact of the closure of the detention facility on the island at the end of this month. According to the chairman of the Ndrakorkor clan of Lombrum, Wep Kanawi, the locals have written to the authorities and pleaded with the Government directly. The Ndrakorkor clan owns the Lombrum land on which the original asylum seekers’ facility was constructed.

The Gov. Eloy S. Inos Peace Park has received national praise and recognition from the Construction Management Association of America. At the CMAA Project Achievement Awards Banquet in Washington, D.C. yesterday, the park received the award in the environmental category for a construction project value less than $50 million. The peace park was a $29-million project that was part of the closure of the former Puerto Rico landfill that was a community dump for more than 40 years.

Scrolls made from masi that contain the messages of Fijians from all walks of life will be showcased at the 23rd Conference of Parties in Bonn, Germany next month. COP23 Presidency Secretariat's executive director John Connor said the scroll showed unity towards the need to reduce the man-made activities that contributed to climate change. "We will be sharing to the world Fiji's response to climate change and as well as the innovation that we are doing to build a resilient Fiji," he said.

Another dog attack on livestock has raised concerns over Rarotonga’s ongoing issue with wandering dogs. On Saturday the owner of a flock of goats was distraught to find some of his animals, including a pregnant goat, mauled to death. He told police a pack of dogs had allegedly attacked numerous livestock in the area. He later reported one of his pigs missing.

Solomon Islands Ports Authority (SIPA) has officially signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the Port of Kaohsiung in Taiwan last month. The MOU was sealed on September 25 by the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Solomon Islands Ports Authority Eranda Kotelewala and the vice-president and CEO of Kaohsiung Port, Taiwan International Ports Corp Shao-Liang Chen.

Samoa’s O le Pūpū Puē (O.L.P.P.) National Park has been officially added to the List of the Wetlands of International Importance under the Ramsar Convention on Wetlands. O.L.P.P has become the 2313rd Ramsar Site globally, the 9th Ramsar Site in the Pacific Region, the government confirmed yesterday.

A US-Tongan filmmaker and director, Tony Vainuku, won an Emmy award for “Outstanding Business and Economic Documentary” at the 38th annual News and Documentary Emmy Awards held in New York City on Thursday, 5 October. Vainuku’s documentary called “In Football We Trust” reveals the social and family pressures endured by ambitious young Pacific Islander men as they chase their dreams to become professional football players. The film was directed by Vainuku with his producer Erika Cohn, and was released in 2015.

It's been revealed that New Zealand ordered Tokelau to suspend two public servants accused of making a controversial helicopter buy. The purchase of two helicopters in November prompted New Zealand to step in over what it called a "significant failure of governance" by Tokelau. The territory's commissioner, Casimilo Perez, suspended finance director Heto Puka and public service general manager Jovilisi Suveinakama from their positions in April for their role in the buy.

Fiji Airways says one of its planes has landed normally in Honolulu after a loss of pressurisation on a flight from Kiribati. Oxygen masks dropped down due to the loss of cabin pressure on the Boeing 737-700 which was carrying 73 passengers and six crew. Fiji Airways said its engineers were working with Boeing to return the aircraft to active service.

A first attempt to refloat a stranded container ship off New Caledonia has failed. At the weekend, the French High Commission said weather conditions were good for a bid to refloat the Kea Trader, which has been stuck on Durand Reef since July. Four tugs were involved in the operation to try to dislodge the new Chinese-built vessel, which ran onto the reef on a voyage from Papeete to Noumea.

Pacific Islands Report is a nonprofit news publication of the Pacific Islands Development Program at the East-West Center in Honolulu, Hawai‘i. Offered as a free service to readers, PIR provides an edited digest of news, commentary and analysis from across the Pacific Islands region, Monday - Friday.